Postage-saving Tips

Fold multipage material and enclose in a #10 envelope to save the extra charge of sending a “flat” mail piece.

Do not over-insure; the vendor will pay only the actual value of an item, not the declared value.

Combine mailings to the same location into one large envelope.

Use Priority Mail rather than Express Mail when two- to three-day delivery is acceptable and no tracking is needed, especially when mailing on Thursday or Friday.

Use Bulk Rate mail when mailing more than 200 pieces of identical weight and contents.

Use Certified instead of Registered mail whenever possible as it costs less and still provides a return receipt and notice of delivery to sender.

Use a Certificate of Mailing when all you need is proof that you have mailed an item to an individual or business.

Use Business Reply envelopes provided by vendors rather than university envelopes and postage.

Use intracampus envelopes for on-campus mail and regular business envelopes for off-campus mailings.

Use postcards for short messages or announcements. The cost is much less than sending an envelope.

Fax or e-mail information when time is critical instead of using Express Mail or overnight services. Overnight costs are the #1 “runaway cost” of large businesses. “Rate shop” your package; you might be able to send it as ground mail and still meet your time service standards.

Always use machineable-size mail. A $.20 surcharge will apply to each mail piece that is First Class mail weighing one ounce or less that exceeds 6 x 9 or 1/4" thick.

The minimum size for letter and postcard mail is 3.5" x 5" and 0.007" thick. All mail pieces smaller than these dimensions is UNMAILABLE.

Use these addressing tips for faster delivery of your mail: type or use a laser printer (not handwritten), use black ink, use a minimum 10 point fixed font and all capital letters, use no punctuation, and place address in the middle of a white envelope. Always use the ZIP + 4 code if known in order to receive faster processing.